Treachery and silly season political snippets
There’s still a few MPs “on duty”. Their function is to maintain the semblance of active government and to roll out a bunch of announcements they hope will escape full scrutiny.
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Ladies and Gentlemen this is your Prime Minister
Video of John Key’s recent interview with The Rock.
Rachel Stewart eviscerates John Key
Rachel Stewart has penned an opinion piece highlighting John Key’s avoidance of serious media in preference to engaging in rude, crude and highly unattractive stunts on commercial radio.
What was National’s role in the police raid on Nicky Hager?
Justice Clifford’s decision that the police raid of Nicky Hager’s home was illegal raises serious questions about what political pressure was applied on the police.
Obesity is a structural problem
Structural problems need structural solutions. Progress on this major public health issue has been set back by a decade because we elected a useless National government.
Rhetoric and reality: Nats on climate change
The Nats want to wallow in the feel-good rhetoric of COP21 action to address climate change. But it’s clear that they don’t intend to take the “ambitious action” they are heralding.
John Key is relaxed about COP21
The Government has responded to the COP21 convention agreement with the suggestion that little will need to change. And John Key has put the likely annual cost of fulfilling our pledge at less than a tenth of the figure that Tim Groser has used.
COP21 and the implications for New Zealand
COP21 has set the benchmark, no greater than 1.5 degrees increase in global temperatures. But current national pledges suggest that the world is on track for at least 3 degrees. And if New Zealand’s effort was replicated throughout the world the increase would be more like 4 degrees or more. So what should New Zealand be doing?
CERT: the partial privatisation of the GCSB
A public private organisation with the acronym CERT was announced this week along with the new cyber security strategy. CERT’s role is to provide information to government so it can protect against cyber threats. Which is one of the roles of the GCSB.
Education mess
Details of a mess in tertiary education published yesterday. On top of the mess in charter schools. National aren’t very good at this.
Sua William Sio: COP21 and the Pacific Islands
Labour MP and associate spokesperson for Foreign Affairs (Pacific Climate Change) Sua William Sio describes the repercussions of a COP21 conference that does not agree to limiting global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees.
New Zealand wins fossil of the day award – again
For a small country New Zealand is certainly punching above its weight. It has been awarded a second fossil of the day award by the Climate Action Network.
Sayonara Serco
Serco’s contract to run the Mt Eden Corrections Facility will not be renewed when it expires next year.
John Key’s hedge fund mate behind Teach First (NZ)
Julian Robertston, a US billionaire who made his money with hedge fund Tiger Management, Merryl Lynch’s largest customer when John Key was working there, is the man behind privatisation trojan horse Teach First (NZ).
Paula Bennett, Climate Change Minister?
Despite having no scientific background, no relevant experience and no related portfolios Paula Bennett is the new Minister in charge of Climate Change Issues.
Key’s Xmas Reshuffle; UPDATE + bonus Winston Peters zinger!
John Key has announced that there will be a minor cabinet re-shuffle. Could this mark the return of Judith Collins? If so, what does this tell us about how the post-Key National Party will look?
Key should apologise to Tania Billingsley and Slater should be ashamed
The disputed facts case involving Tania Billingsley’s complaint against the Malaysian Diplomat suggests the diplomat was engaged in some bizarre drug induced behaviour and completely exonerates Ms Billingsley. John Ken will have to reconsider his petty refusal to apologise to her. And Murray McCully’s actions will be closely monitored as soon as the completed report into the invocation of diplomatic immunity is released.
TiSA reduces COP21 to a charade
That National Ltd™ is currently in the process of giving away New Zealand’s sovereignty in areas such as energy resources and related regulations, explains its contempt for the environment and the talking down of expectations regarding climate change.
#Sheepgate – but wait there’s more
At the same time that there is an Auditor General’s investigation into the appropriateness of the Government spend on the sheep farm in the middle of a Saudi desert the Government has announced a further spend of $2.6 million on a kit set abattoir. And the resumption of live exports by ship may be in the pipeline.
Mopping up the fossil fuels subsidy shame
McClay said he could not answer the specific question because he had “been advised” no such data exists.
How convenient.
The great greenhouse gas research funding switcherooni
John Key has announced an increase in funding on research into the reduction of agricultural emissions of greenhouse gasses of $20 million over four years or $5 million a year. Which is the amount the Government cut from this research two months ago.
Nats failing Christchurch and lashing out at Treasury
A Treasury report calls the Christchurch rebuild plan “unachievable”. Gerry Brownlee immediately springs in to action – attacking Treasury. Christchurch deserves better than this…
Jarrod Gilbert 1 – Windmills 0
About time the Police got around to becoming a “very evidence based” service. Building great relationships with academia is a sensible way to start.
Nats positioning for 2017
Nothing Matthew Hooton says can be taken at face value, but perhaps there are rumblings within National about 2017.
Nats campaigning with public money
Campaigning with public money. Politicising the public service. Cabinet club is cash for access. This is a corrupt government.
How many prospective state house tenants hate birds chirping?
The answer is at least one.
Read my lips – some new taxes
National willfully stupidly blind on climate change
As the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warns of the risks of sea level rises and recommends action, National are clear that they will take none. They are determined to leave all the risks and costs of climate change to future governments.
Towards banana republic status
National has passed legislation with retrospective effect under urgency to change previous legislation also passed under urgency so that the law says what it thinks the law should have said, despite the existing law being abundantly clear.
Homeless children
RNZ covered a Salvation Army report on housing this morning. These figures are a national disgrace.
NRT: Urgency for abuse
I/S at No Right Turn: “The House has just gone into urgency for two key (for the government) bills – the first to punish retroactively people who have already been punished, the second to steal from the poor.”
A Government of spin redux
The Herald has withdrawn a story that reported on Government pressure on the ERO to rewrite a report after what appears to be pressure from the Government to do so.
The Tide is High
I’m pleased about the Roy Morgan result. The last RWC was worth 2-3% in the polls to National. This RWC … nothing. And in the days since that poll, John Key has overseen an astonishing attack on the women of Parliament. I think we’ve reached Peak Key.
A government of spin
Two recent articles suggest that this Government is more interested in spin and PR than in achieving good. And one of the articles previously posted in the Herald has mysteriously disappeared.
Power Corruption and Lies
A National List MP has been snapped trying to heavy the Housing Ministry into funding a lift in her personal profile. Remember John Key’s ‘higher standards in Government’? Nick Smith’s Ministerial office apparently doesn’t care too much about about such trifles. Worse, the Housing Ministry has been caught trying to cover up for the Tories by redacting an OIA request. Here’s your Brighter Future, folks. Enjoy.
Social media disasters – Paula Bennett tweets
The first of what may be an ongoing series of posts where social media interaction by Politicians ends in disaster.